I empathize with the trials you and your family face. Yesterday, today, tomorrow, thousands of people have already or will enter a similar circumstance. Some will come as a surprise and live closer than you might imagine, while others will connect from afar. No matter the distance, we are neighbors in grief, and allies in healing. The details vary, yet … Read More
Sweet Tart Tears
Original post from May 11, which disappeared from this blog… Today marks my oldest son’s twenty-first birthday, that magic American number, our vision of ultimate freedom. I have had this day planned for weeks, but as I sit here, I cannot seem to find my stride. My every intention has been to celebrate this day. I ordered a surprise for … Read More
Celebrating a Gift
The birthday card my mother sent me a few months ago was simple, a few watercolor flowers sitting atop a box; the creators had glued a tiny blue ribbon above the scrolling message. The words inside held a lifetime of sentiment that I will remember for years to come: You are a smile and a gift and an amazing story of growth and change and … Read More
Living Color
Pink is my favorite color. When I wear pink, I feel feminine. I feel warm and fuzzy inside. Needless to say, last Monday provided a good day to break out the pink hat, gloves, and scarf. I donned them over my pink blouse with white lace. The blushes looked fabulous against a pair of dark denim jeans. What can I … Read More
Food for…
I have been carrying around Geneen Roth’s, Women Food And God, for months now, hopeful each day will provide a few stolen moments… Actually, my life lends itself, daily, to a number of mini barren blocks of time. How I deplete those minutes varies, but most recently I have exhausted them through word wars with my sister. Word wars in the literal sense, in the … Read More
Ever After…
Eternity. Forever. Always. Never. As early as our first foray into the imagination, those words take a front seat. The timeless fairy tales our loved ones read to us, almost always end with “And they lived happily ever after…” For eternity. Forever. Always. The story must end, must have a conclusion. For children–humans–there must also be hope, love, laughter…promise… What we don’t see … Read More
An Imprint
Holiday Mathis provided this Capricorn horoscope, today:“Your imprint on others is emotional. Think about what kind of mood you capture, embody and unintentionally inflict on others. That’s what will remain after you’ve left the room.” Wow… As I read this, many things bombarded me at once. First of all, my life’s work seems to be attached to the emotional connection … Read More
Grateful on October 19, 2010
Well, life has tossed many lemons onto my path this past week, some were downright sour, too. So, since I don’t have an onion to cut open (though I managed to have myself a good cry today, without one!) I think I’ll spend some time focusing on something positive. So, here goes: I am grateful for: 1. A husband who … Read More
The Making of a Happy Liver
Today, my job has brought me to a maximum security men’s prison in upstate New York. I was one of six adults enlisted to transport seven at-risk students to the prison for an awareness program. Five inmates, including three murderers, participate in an intensive training program before going on to teach delinquent students, to try to reach them, to encourage … Read More
When Life Gives You Lemons: Cut Open an Onion
Yes. You read the title correctly: When life gives you lemons, cut open an onion. This thought came to me a couple of weeks ago, after I thought of the well-known expression, “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” This optimisim has been passed down for generations, a cliche recognized by nearly everyone. The assumption being that we can turn … Read More